Then what?

By Joerg Colberg
Dec 13, 2005

I look at a lot of photography every day, and sometimes I can’t help but think that some people are trying a little bit too hard. I don’t want to single out any photographer, because it would be unfair; and I will not give away whose work I was just looking at (the person has not been linked to here). But some people are trying so hard to find a shot, which has not been done before, that it’s almost painful to see the contrived, unnatural and, contrary to what people want to believe, completely uncool poses (we have been lead to believe that what we get to see as new stuff is cool, regardless of how utterly stupid it really is). At some stage, though, we will arrive at a moment where every single pose has already been put on film, and every single cliché has been beaten to death by advertizing - assuming we haven’t passed that stage already. Then what? Try even harder to be original?

PS: And this is the reason why I am sick and tired of “fashion photography”.